New train service to link Berlin and Paris in eight hours by December

A new direct train service is set to link Berlin and Paris in a travel time of around eight hours, Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Tuesday, with the first journey due to launch as soon as December.

"For the first time, the two capitals will be connected by daytime high-speed rail," Deutsche Bahn said.

A sleeper service has been running between the two cities since late 2023, operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

The new route is to be offered in partnership with France's SNCF from December 16. The two companies presented details of the service at the Innotrans trade fair for the rail industry in Berlin on Tuesday.

Tickets are available to buy from mid-October, starting from €59.99 ($66.84).

Departures are planned daily on a 444-seat, high-speed train from Paris Gare de l'Est station at 11:54 am (0954 GMT), arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 7:55 pm.

The return journey will set off from the German capital at 9:55 am and arrive in Paris at 6:03 pm.

The route is set to pass through Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg, marking the first direct connection between Berlin and the seat of the European Parliament.

Deutsche Bahn, which has been struggling with creaking infrastructure, major delays and striking staff, sees international travel as a key element of its plan to restore the company's fortunes.

It has been operating joint high-speed rail services with SNCF since 2007, when long-distance ICE and TGV trains began running between Paris and the German cities of Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich.

A daily service has also been in operation between Frankfurt and Marseille in southern France since 2012, while a further weekend connection to the south-western French city of Bordeaux was launched in 2023.